Foreign and Commonwealth Office

International Religious Freedom Alliance

the lord bishop of leeds: Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States about joining its International Religious Freedom Alliance; what assessment they have made ofthat Alliance; and what consultation they have undertaken with civil society and other interested parties about the effectsof joiningthat Alliance.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has held discussions with the US and other countries about joining the Alliance. We will be announcing our decision on our membership shortly.

Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of leeds: Her Majesty's Government what consideration theyhave given to hosting a ministerial conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2020 or 2021.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief is a longstanding human rights priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO has already agreed to host in 2020 conferences on Preventing Sexual Violence and COP26 then co-host a conference on the Equal Rights Coalition on LGBT rights. We will announce a decision on whether the UK will host a ministerial level conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief shortly.

Burma: Rohingya

baroness helic: Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take at the next UN Security Council meeting in response to the ruling by the International Court of Justice that the government of Myanmar must take action to protect the Rohingya community, in the context of the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have welcomed the International Court of Justice's decision on provisional measures, which was clear that Myanmar must do more to protect the Rohingya. On 4 February, at the request of the UK and partners, the UN Security Council met to discuss the decision. In our statement to the Council, we urged Myanmar to abide the provisional measures.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Drugs

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the paper circulated by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Medicine and Supply Team to the NHS in November 2019 detailing the extent and range of drug shortages in the NHS.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department has no plans to publish at this time.

Social Services: Contracts

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many contracts were handed back to local authorities in England in the financial years (1) 2017/18, (2) 2018/19, and (3) 2019/20 by (a) nursing homes, (b) residential care homes, and (c) domiciliary care organisations; and which local authorities were involved.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: This information is not collected centrally.

Social Services: Finance

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to stabilise the funding of the adult social care sector in England in order to enable the agreement of a long-term funding plan for that sector.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We are providing councils with access to an additional £1.5 billion for adults and children’s social care in 2020/21. This includes an additional £1 billion of grant funding for adults and children’s social care, and a proposed 2% precept that will enables councils to access a further £500 million for adult social care. This £1.5 billion is on top of maintaining £2.5 billion of existing social care grants and will support local authorities to meet rising demand and continue to stabilise the social care system.Putting social care on a sustainable footing, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, is one of the biggest challenges we face as a society. The Government will bring forward a plan for social care this year.

Food: Hygiene

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to making thedisplay of food hygiene ratings mandatory in England.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Food businesses covered by the scheme are provided with stickers showing their rating. Those in Wales and Northern Ireland are already required by law to display the stickers at their premises, while those in England are encouraged to do so. The FSA has put together an evidence-based case for the necessary legislation which is expected to be submitted for ministerial consideration early this year.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 21 January (HL127), how they intend to assess (1) how any potential for Alexa to help with "prevention and early diagnosis" is being delivered in practice; and (2) whether such an approach is within the broader public interest.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The agreement with Amazon to provide medically verified National Health Service information from the NHS website, through its voice assistant Alexa, will help people become more informed about a range of medical conditions, their symptoms, and their potential treatments. Greater access to that information from the NHS will help people manage their own healthcare more effectively, reaching a far greater number of United Kingdom citizens, which could help with prevention and early diagnosis. Significantly, it will help those who rely on voice-activated technology, such as elderly people or blind and visually impaired people, to access expert, accurate and safe medical information from the NHS.

NHS: Negligence

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 22 January (HL258), whether they can provide the information set out in Figure 3 on page 37 of theNHS ResolutionAnnual report and accounts 2018/19, published on 11 July 2019, in respect of clinical negligence cases only.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.The following table shows settled clinical negligence claims in financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19.Financial YearSettlement TypeNumber of claims settled with damagesNumber of claims settled with no damages% damages% No damages2017/18No proceedings3,9324,1193,932 (33.1%)4,119 (34.6%)2018/19No proceedings4,0153,8584,015 (35.2%)3,858 (33.8%)2017/18Proceedings2,9897802,989 (25.1%)780 (6.6%)2018/19Proceedings2,8726152,872 (25.2%)615 (5.4%)2017/18Trial284828 (0.2%)48 (0.4%)2018/19Trial223522 (0.2%)35 (0.3%) Note: The percentage figures in the table may not add to exactly 100% due to rounding.

NHS: Drugs

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the extent, and (2) the range, of drug shortages in the NHS.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of drug shortages in the NHS.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government what prioritisation process is usedby the NHS for the rationing of essential drugs in cases when there is a shortage of such drugs.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether unlicensed medicines are used to help with any shortages of drug supply in the NHS; and if so, how many.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The majority of medicines are dispensed in England every day without issue, with over two million prescription items dispensed each day. However, the production of medicines is complex and highly regulated, and materials and processes must meet rigorous safety and quality standards. Supply problems can affect a wide range of drugs and can arise for various reasons, such as manufacturing issues, problems with the raw ingredients and batch failures.The Department has well established processes to manage and mitigate supply problems that may arise at any one time and works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA), the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and NHS Improvement and others operating in the supply chain, to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when they do arise.Where issues do arise, the Department will use a host of tools which might include working with the MHRA to expedite regulatory procedures, working with manufacturers to manage remaining supplies and expedite the delivery of further stock and commissioning clinical advice on alternative options from specialist clinicians.Furthermore, the team routinely works with specialist importer companies to obtain unlicensed products from abroad to help to manage supply issues affecting the National Health Service.Occasionally the team will work with wholesalers and suppliers to put demand management processes in place to ensure the equitable distribution of stock throughout the country as this ensures the NHS can continue to access the medicines it requires.

Mental Illness: Children

lord bradley: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 23 January (HL387), in what format the data is held.

lord bradley: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 23 January (HL388), in what format the data is held.

lord bradley: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 23 January (HL451), in what format the data is held.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The number of individual patients aged under 18 cannot be provided, only the number of unplanned accident and emergency (A&E) attendances for patients aged under 18 with a primary diagnosis in A&E of ‘35 – Psychiatric Condition’.Information can only be provided on the distance between a patient’s postcode and the A&E where they presented and not the hospital where the patient was subsequently admitted from A&E.

Dementia

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, and (3) Northern Ireland, about the social care and medical provision for people with dementia.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Health and social care for people with dementia is a devolved matter and the responsibility respectively of the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish Governments. Officials in the Department routinely work with the devolved administrations on areas of mutual interest.For example, the Department has worked closely with the Scottish Government which had overall responsibility for the European Union Act on Dementia Joint Action 2016-19. The Joint Action promoted collaborative actions among Member States to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their carers and the Department co-ordinated a work package focussed on Dementia Friendly Communities.

Department for Education

Child Rearing: GCSE

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: Her Majesty's Government whether the Child Development GCSE covers the feeding of newborn babies; and if so, how it is taught.

lord agnew of oulton: ​There is no Child Development GCSE available in England. Education is a devolved matter, and questions on GCSEs available in Wales and Northern Ireland should be directed to the appropriate devolved administrations.

Breastfeeding

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: Her Majesty's Government what theRelationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education curriculums include on breastfeeding.

lord agnew of oulton: ​From September, we are making the subjects of relationships education compulsory in all primary schools, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory in all secondary schools and health education compulsory in all state-funded schools.The statutory guidance sets out that as part of RSE, pupils should be taught about sexual and reproductive health, including pregnancy and the role and responsibilities of parents with respect to raising of children. Schools are free to adapt their content to meet the needs of their pupils and may want to cover breastfeeding when teaching about parenting or pregnancy. The statutory guidance can be accessed via the following link, which is also attached: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/805781/Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education.pdf.

Adoption Support Fund

lord russell of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government, further to the recommendations of the APPG for Adoption and Permanence's reportInvesting in Families: The Adoption Support Fund beyond 2020, what plans they have to establish a board of clinicians in the Department for Education to provide clinical oversight of, and support to, the Adoption Support Fund.

lord russell of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend eligibility for the Adoption Support Fund to children being cared for under a Special Guardianship Order who do not have a previously looked after status.

lord russell of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the therapeutic interventions available through the Adoption Support Fund.

lord russell of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend eligibility for the Adoption Support Fund to adopted children who have returned to the care system under a section 20 care order.

lord agnew of oulton: Last year we announced that the Adoption Support Fund would continue with increased funding until 2021 pending the outcome of the multi-year Spending Review in 2020. The announcement, attached, can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-funding-to-boost-adoption-support. We will consider the scope, eligibility and delivery requirements of the Adoption Support Fund as part of our planning for this Spending Review.



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Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

baroness corston: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 20 January (HL111), why the total number of releases, as outlined in the tableAccommodation on Release from Custody: National Accommodation Circumstances, England and Wales between April 2017 and March 2019, has dropped from 18,239 in Quarter 1, to 12,544 in Quarter 4, of the 2018/19 financial year.

lord keen of elie: Issues have been identified with the data reported in the Accommodation and Employment annexes to the Community Performance Quarterly publication and this will be re-issued at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-update-to-june-2019 once these have been resolved. A corrected version of HL111 will also be provided. We aim to have this issue resolved by the end of the month.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Religious Hatred: Islam

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their definition of Islamophobia.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to appoint a second adviser on the matter of defining Islamophobia.

viscount younger of leckie: It is unacceptable for anyone to feel unsafe while practising their religion, and this government will never allow prejudice and discrimination of any kind against the Muslim community.We will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Muslim hatred and recognise the importance of this matter. We will continue to explore and interrogate the issue of publishing a definition of Islamophobia in further detail.

Vacant Land

lord patten: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for local authorities to be given the power to refuse planning permission for new building on greenfield sites until all brownfield sites have been developed.

viscount younger of leckie: In our revised National Planning Policy Framework we make clear that local authorities should prioritise brownfield land for development, especially for housing to meet local need. This is especially the case where they may be considering the release of Green Belt land, which should only occur once all other options, including the use of brownfield sites, have been fully explored. The brownfield registers of local authorities identify an estimated 26,000 hectares of brownfield with potential for around a million new homes. The question of whether to refuse an application affecting greenfield land must continue to depend, rightly, on the local authority’s planning policies and all other considerations relevant to that particular case, including the protections set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Buildings: Insulation

lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the full results of fire safety tests on non-Aluminum Composite Material types of cladding; andif so, when.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government is committed to publish the results of all the tests on non-Aluminium Composite Material cladding. Further tests are being undertaken on additional cladding materials including timber cladding and Class D High Pressure Laminates of various thicknesses and manufacturers. The report will be published shortly.

East Kent Housing: Dismissal

lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by four local authorities in Kent to dismiss the board of East Kent Housing.

viscount younger of leckie: No such assessment has been made as this is a matter for the local authorities concerned. It is for local authorities to decide whether to engage an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) to manage their housing. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that their housing complies with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, regardless of whether the homes are managed by an ALMO.

Ministry of Defence

Military Aircraft: Decommissioning

lord davies of gower: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total annual cost of storing military aircraft awaiting commercial disposal.

baroness goldie: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment: Health

baroness walmsley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are planning to take to ensure that people with fluctuating and hidden health conditions receive the support they need to (1) find, and (2) stay in, employment.

baroness stedman-scott: The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work by 2027. We support disabled people, including people with fluctuating and hidden health conditions, to return to work through programmes such as the Work and Health Programme and the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme. Access to Work supports people with a disability or health condition that affects the way they do their job to enter, sustain and progress in their employment. The scheme offers individually tailored support and advice, including a discretionary grant of up to £59,200 per year to cover costs above the level of employers’ statutory obligation to provide reasonable adjustments. We will publish a National Strategy for Disabled People before the end of 2020. This will look at ways to improve the benefits system, opportunities and access for disabled people in terms of housing, education, transport and jobs.

Pensions: Consumer Information

lord tyrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make pension dashboards interoperable with Open Banking, including the processes for customer authentication.

baroness stedman-scott: The Government recognises the achievements made by Open Banking and the potential for the Industry Delivery Group, as a part of the Money and Pensions Service to learn from their experience to inform the development of pensions dashboards. At the same time, we recognise that Open Banking aims to improve consumer outcomes in an environment where consumers already know what they have and who they bank with, which enables consumers to authenticate themselves directly with their bank provider. The Department for Work and Pensions response to its consultation on pensions dashboards highlighted where there were potential opportunities to align with Open Banking for example, on some aspects of the data standards and the governance register. The Department for Work and Pensions is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which is currently leading a smart data review that is looking at ways to promote interoperability across financial services and other sectors. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s proposals, following on from its consultation paper from June 2019, will be published in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

River Thames: Sewage

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions the Environment Agency has prosecuted Thames Water for illegal discharges of untreated sewage into the River Thames or its tributariesin the last five years for which figures are available; and in what instances a penalty was imposed as a result of any such prosecution.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The table below shows the prosecutions of Thames Water Utilities Limited by the Environment Agency during the five calendar year period (from 2015 to 2019) for illegal discharges of sewage to the River Thames and its direct and indirect tributaries. Each row of the chart represents one prosecution. The watercourse related to the prosecution is shown in the centre column, and the type of penalty which resulted from the prosecution is shown in the right-hand column.Table title: Prosecution of Thames Water Utilities Limited by the Environment Agency, 2015 to 2019, for sewage discharges to direct and indirect tributaries to the River ThamesDate of Prosecution [appeal hearing dates in brackets]Name of Water CourseOutcome16/02/2015River BlackwaterFined29/08/2014 [03/06/2015]River Enborne, Chase Brook and nearby watercoursesFined04/01/2016Grand Union CanalFined07/03/2016Horsenden StreamFined22/03/2017Fawley Court StreamFined22/03/2017River ThamesFined22/03/2017River ThamesFined22/03/2017Moor DitchFined22/03/2017River ThamesFined22/03/2017Barkham BrookFined10/07/2019Maidenhead Ditch and River CutFined21/12/2018 [26/07/2019]Idbury BrookFined

Wood-burning Stoves

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total value of fees paid to certifiers to grant wood burning stove manufacturers exemptions from the provisions of the Clean Air Act 1993.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Under the Clean Air Act 1993, the Government publishes a list of solid fuel combustion appliances exempted from the prohibition of smoke emissions in smoke control areas. To add a new appliance to the list, the manufacturer of the appliance must apply to HETAS, the appointed contractor, for approval. They must submit technical and testing documentation evidencing that emissions limits have been met. The total amount of fees invoiced for by HETAS to manufacturers for this purpose, during the period of April 2019 to 29 of January 2020, was £97,421.

Wood-burning Stoves

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what controls a local authority can impose on a wood burning stove that has been granted an exemption from the provisions of the Clean Air Act 1993

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Under Part III of the Clean Air Act 1993 (CAA), it is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building in a Smoke Control Area (SCA) unless burning an authorised fuel or using an exempt appliance. Local authorities are responsible for designation and enforcement of SCAs. To obtain exemption, appliances such as wood-burning stoves must pass smoke emissions tests. Exemptions are granted on conditions such as requiring users to operate the appliance in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions and only burn specified fuels. Local authorities can take action in SCAs where they have identified that a user is not complying with these conditions and an offence has occurred. We recognise that enforcement of SCAs can be challenging. For this reason, we are proposing to amend Part III of the CAA through the Environment Bill to enable quicker, simpler and more proportionate enforcement of SCAs. This includes enabling local authorities in England to issue civil financial penalties for chimney smoke emissions. This will be possible as the regime will shift from being a criminal to a civil regime. This regime change will also remove the statutory defences, including the use of an exempt appliance or an authorised fuel, that currently hinder enforcement. Authorities have no means by which to determine whether the statutory defences apply as they are unable to enter private premises. These changes should make it easier for local authorities to tackle misuse of exempt wood-burning stoves.

Wood-burning Stoves

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many installed wood burning stoves have been granted exemptions from the provisions of the Clean Air Act 1993.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The information requested is not held by Defra. Such information may however be held by local authorities for their individual areas. The list of exempt appliances under the Clean Air Act 1993 is published on the Defra website at the address below: https://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/appliances.php

Air Pollution

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pollution and smoke complaints it has not been possible to enforce due to the polluter having purchased an exception from the provisions of the Clean Air Act 1993.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The information requested is not held by Defra. Such information may however be held by local authorities for their individual areas.

Drinking Water

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what figures they hold on the number of (1) tourism attractions, (2) high street retailers, (3) railway stations, and (4) UK airports, that offer drinking water refill points.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government recognises the importance of making drinking water more readily available in public places, as a means of reducing single-use plastic bottles. As laid out in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Resources and Waste Strategy, we are already taking action in this area Ministers have supported transport hubs, particularly railway stations and airports, to offer free water refill points. Although the Government does not collect the precise data requested, we have seen positive responses from Network Rail and rail operators. We are also pleased that around half of the UK’s international airports now have water fountains enabling customers to refill their own water containers. The Government is also supporting water companies, high street retailers, coffee shops and transport hubs to offer new refill points for people to top-up water bottles free in every major city and town in England. The water industry is developing a network of refill points through its Refill app, managed by City to Sea. There are now over 27,000 refill points available on the app, which is used by an average of 20,000 people each month and is estimated to have saved over 100 million single use bottles from entering our waste stream in 2019.

Plastics: Hotels

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in partnership with relevant businesses, to reduce the use of plastics in hotels.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in December 2018, sets out our plans to reduce, reuse and recycle more plastic than we do now. Our target is to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste throughout the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan, but for the most problematic plastics we are going faster - that is why we are working towards all plastic packaging placed on the market being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out various proposals that will help businesses, including hotels, reduce their use of single-use plastics. These include the introduction of a deposit-return scheme for drinks containers, bans on some of the most commonly littered single-use plastics such as drink stirrers, and extension of the carrier bag charge to all retailers. The Government also supports the UK Plastics Pact (UKPP), a collaborative initiative to create a circular system that keeps plastic in the economy and out of the natural environment. UKPP members are working towards four key targets by 2025, including to eliminate the use of unnecessary single-use plastics. The UKPP has more than 120 business members, including many from the retail and hospitality sectors.

Hill Farming

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of hill farmers in England and Wales.

lord gardiner of kimble: We are able to provide the number of farms within Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) which cover mountainous and hill farming areas. The LFAs are subdivided into two areas. The more environmentally challenging areas within LFAs are classed as ‘Severely Disadvantaged Areas’. The remainder are classified as ‘Disadvantaged Areas’. Figures for England and Wales in 2018 are shown below:  Number of holdingsEnglandWalesLess Favoured Areas17,86829,824of which Disadvantaged Areas8,34513,461of which Severely Disadvantaged Areas9,52316,363

Fly-tipping

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there has been any increase in fly-tipping in the last five years; and what consideration they have given to legislative and regulatory reforms to support local authorities and the police in the prevention of such a crime.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Defra publishes annual fly-tipping statistics for England, which show that incidents of fly-tipping have gradually increased over the last five years, albeit with a decrease reported between 2016/17 and 2017/18. Defra most recently published the annual fly-tipping statistics on 7 November 2019. The 2018/19 figures reported an increase of 8% from those reported in 2017/18. However, this most recent increase in recorded incidents does not necessarily mean the number of fly-tipping incidents has increased. Local authorities have reported that as they make it easier for citizens to report fly-tipping, for example through mobile apps, they see an increase in the number of incidents recorded. In recent years we have bolstered local authorities’ powers to tackle fly-tipping, including introducing new fixed penalty notices, and we continue to work with partners to tackle this unacceptable criminal activity. Defra is preparing a number of legislative reforms to tackle waste crime, including fly-tipping. We are taking forward the commitment in the Resources and Waste Strategy (RWS) to develop proposals for the reform of the waste carrier, broker, and dealer regime. We are working with industry and the regulator and we intend to consult later this year. At the same time, we intend to consult on the introduction of mandatory electronic waste tracking. This will, amongst other things, reduce the ability of waste criminals to hide evidence of the systematic mishandling of waste material dropping out of the system and so make it easier to protect against fly-tipping. The reform aims to deter illegitimate operators from entering the sector. This will help to ensure that waste is dealt with appropriately and to reduce the incidence of waste crime and fly-tipping. The newly introduced Environment Bill amends section 108 of the Environment Act 1995. This will make it easier for an officer to search premises that they have the power to enter, to seize and remove documentary or other evidence, to require electronic information to be produced in a form that enables it to be removed or produced as documentary evidence, and to operate equipment found on the premises to produce information from it. The new power does not require a warrant if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that first obtaining a warrant would allow for evidence to be concealed, altered or destroyed. Further to this, Schedule 11 of the Environment Bill removes the seven-day notice period required before powers of entry can be used to access residential premises. The current seven-day notice requirement enables, for example, rogue waste carriers who operate from their home address rather than a business address, to destroy evidence. These new powers will work to ensure waste criminals, such as illegitimate waste operators reliant on fly-tipping for income, are held accountable for their actions. As well as forthcoming legislative reforms and recent fixed penalty notice powers, we recently published publicity materials to help householders better understand their responsibilities under the waste duty of care. The materials have been provided to the Local Government Association to circulate to local authorities, and published on the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group’s website. Householders have a legal ‘duty of care’ to ensure they only give their waste to a licensed carrier and that it is not taken by an illegal waste carrier who is likely to fly-tip it, but about two-thirds of fly-tipped waste is household waste. A conviction in a Crown Court for fly-tipping can lead to an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison. Defra has worked with the Sentencing Council to amend sentencing guidance for these offences, but will continue this work to help to secure tougher penalties in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment. Defra is also developing a fly-tipping toolkit following a commitment in the RWS. The toolkit will be a web-based tool to help local authorities and others work in partnership to tackle fly-tipping. It will cover, for example, the use of new technology to report fly-tipping, the presentation of cases to court, the sharing of intelligence within and between partnerships and promoting the duty of care to individuals and businesses.

Beaches: Standards

baroness suttie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to maintain the current standards of cleanliness on UK beaches after Brexit; and, in particular, whether they intend to maintain the standards set out in the EU's Bathing Water and Water Framework Directives.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Leaving the EU does not change the UK’s ambition on the environment; the Government has no intention of weakening our current environmental protections now that we have left the EU. The UK has a long history of environmental protection, supported by a strong legal framework which predates our membership of the EU, and we will safeguard and improve on this record. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 will ensure that the body of existing EU environmental law, including our Water Framework Directive regulations and the Bathing Water Regulations, continues to have effect in UK law now that we have left the EU. Local authorities’ existing statutory duties to remove litter and refuse from beaches above the high-water mark are unaffected by our departure from the EU. The statutory Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse sets out the standards that local authorities are expected to achieve in doing so.

Lighting: Pollution

lord patten: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the annual 2.2 per cent growth of global light pollution, according to the journalEnvironmental Evidence, on the (1) environment, and (2) health, of the UK.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government has not made a specific assessment of the impact of the annual growth of global light pollution on the environment. Defra has published or contributed to a range of assessments of the impact of artificial light on insects and wider biodiversity, as well as global and national assessments of the drivers of biodiversity loss more generally. Following publication of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution’s report, ‘Artificial light in the environment’ in 2009, Defra has supported assessments of impacts of artificial light on insects and on other organisms such as bats. These are published on our science website. Defra has also funded or co-funded national and international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production, which notes that effects of light on nocturnal insects may be growing and identifies the need for further study. There have been a number of externally funded studies which have highlighted potential impacts of artificial light pollution on insects, which Defra keeps under review, for example, with our academic partners on the National Pollinator Strategy for England. Public Health England carried out a study in 2016 for the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and the Society of Light and Lighting, which included an assessment of light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights on health. The study concluded that some LED streetlight luminaires emitted more blue light than was necessary, but that there was no evidence of direct adverse health effects on people.

Cabinet Office

Brexit

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Prime Minister's statement on 20 December 2019 (HC Deb, col 146) that "now is the moment, as we leave the European Union, to reunite the country", what steps they are taking in order to do so.

earl howe: I refer the noble Lord to the Prime Minister’s address to the nation given on Friday 31 January 2020.

Brexit: Festivals and Special Occasions

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the anticipated cost of any Government-sponsored celebrations about the UK's departure from the EU on 31 January.

earl howe: The commemorations for this historic day included the release into circulation of a new 50p coin, and a light display at Downing Street, alongside a special address by the Prime Minister. Union Jack flags also lined Parliament Square and the Mall on 31 January and the public saw government buildings in Whitehall lit up throughout the evening. The costs of these events were drawn from existing budgets.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Huawei: 5G

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that Huawei's limited role in the UK's 5G network does not present a security risk.

baroness morgan of cotes: UK Telecoms operators have been advised by the National Cyber Security Centre - in its guidance published on 29 January - on the steps they need to take in relation to high risk vendors. The guidance also sets out the steps necessary for Huawei, including the important continuing role for the world class Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre and Oversight Board.In addition, new telecoms security requirements proposed in the Government’s Telecoms Supply Chain Review will raise the height of the security bar and require telecoms operators to design and manage their networks to meet new requirements. They will provide clarity to industry on what is expected in terms of network security and, in turn, improve security across vendors.

Museums and Galleries

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to implementing the recommendations of thereport by the Museums AssociationMuseums Taskforce: Report and Recommendations, published in March 2018, and in particular encouraging national museums to partner with regional institutions by loaning them national collections.

baroness barran: In 2017 the government published the Mendoza Review of Museums in England. My department continues to work on implementing the recommendations of that review, which were aimed at creating an environment in which museums could flourish. As part of this work we have considered a number of more recent publications and reports regarding museums issues and my officials have met with the Museums Association to discuss their work.In August last year, my department delivered on a key recommendation from the Mendoza Review by publishing the first annual National Museums Partnership Report. This report provides an overview of the partnerships of 17 national UK museums, revealing how museum partnerships benefit parties on both sides as well as audiences and wider society. Further data will be released this year, and in future iterations we are keen to reflect a more rounded picture including data on regional museum activity DCMS continues to work with the national museums, Arts Council England, and other partners to support collaborative working.

Environment Protection: Tourism

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had, if any, with the tourism industry on improving the environmental sustainability of that industry.

baroness barran: My Department regularly engages with tourism stakeholders about environmental sustainability. For example, this was discussed at the Tourism Industry Council in June 2019 and at the G20 in Japan in October 2019. The Tourism Sector Deal and the £45m Discover England Fund aim to contribute to a more sustainable tourism sector by spreading visitors more evenly throughout the year, and more broadly across the country. Successful Tourism Zones will be required to commit to making a sustainable development plan for their regions.

Advertising: Misrepresentation

lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce further legislation to ban companies from profiting from other digital companies’ scam advertising or misleading investments.

baroness barran: The government takes fraud very seriously and continues to work closely with industry to close down the vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit, and ensure members of the public have the information they need to spot a scam and stand up to fraudsters. We set up the Joint Fraud Taskforce to help build a collaborative law enforcement, government and industry response to tackling fraud. Scams can also be reported to Action Fraud and Citizens Advice. Last year the government announced its intention to review how online advertising is regulated in the UK, looking at how well the current regime is equipped to tackle the challenges posed by developments in online advertising. The announcement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/jeremy-wrights-statement-on-the-cairncross-review Currently, advertising in the UK is overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the industry’s independent regulator, which for online advertising enforces the Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) through a system of self-regulation. The CAP Code incorporates all relevant legislation and sets standards for accuracy and honesty to which advertisers must adhere. This system operates independently of government. With specific regard to online scam advertising, the ASA works with online platforms to have problem advertising taken down, and with other partners, including National Trading Standards, to take action against those who are engaged in fraud. The ASA also works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to regulate the advertising of legitimate financial products.

Tourism: Taxation

baroness eaton: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of allowinglocal authorities to introduce a discretionary Tourism Levy to raise funds for local services.

baroness barran: We are aware of the broad range of views held on the notion of a discretionary tourism levy. The UK Government has a number of concerns about the introduction of any kind of Tourism Tax. Tax is a matter for the Treasury who routinely review the tax regime of the country. We would therefore recommend any interested stakeholders engage with Her Majesty’s Treasury.

Rugby: Disadvantaged

lord caine: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofThe Rugby League Dividend report, published by the Rugby Football League on 22 August 2019, on the economic and social impact of rugby league in disadvantaged communities and the role of sport in promoting social mobility.

baroness barran: The Government welcomes the RFL’s Dividend Report which demonstrates the valuable contribution that rugby league can have within communities. Rugby League is a fantastic example of how sport and physical activity can play a leading role in engaging people from every background. The Government’s Sporting Future strategy is explicit that that everyone, regardless of background, sex, age or level of ability should be able to engage in sport and physical activity as participants, spectators and in the workplace, and that sport and physical activity should be valued for the much broader positive impact it can have across a range of physical, social and economic outcomes. The strategy included a specific focus on engaging people from groups in society that have traditionally been underrepresented in sport and physical activity and who have the most to gain from getting more active. Government is directly supporting rugby league through more than £11m of Sport England investment in the Rugby Football League over 2017-21 and investment of up to £10m in rugby league facilities to help drive a legacy from the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Arts: Visas

the earl of clancarty: Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Sport, Media and Creative Industries on 21 January (HC Deb, col 56WH) that “it is essential that free movement is protected for artists post 2020”, how they intend to protect such free movement; and whether such protection will cover freelance workers in other creative and specialist fields.

baroness barran: The UK’s creative industries deliver around 12 per cent of the UK’s total exports in services, and have grown rapidly in recent years. The government is committed to ensuring this growth continues. DCMS has engaged extensively with union bodies, artists and cultural organisations to help understand the needs of the creative and cultural sector, including freelancers who make up a significant proportion of people in these sectors. Recognising the depth of the UK-EU relationship, the UK is seeking reciprocal mobility arrangements with the EU in a defined number of areas. For example, to allow business professionals to provide services, or tourists to continue to travel visa-free. This is in line with the arrangements that the UK might want to offer other close trading partners in future, where they support new and deep trade deals. This is subject to wider negotiations with the EU.

Huawei: 5G

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements for interoperability will be put in place for the use of Huawei equipment in the 5G network and any related systems.

baroness morgan of cotes: Interoperability will be one of the three strands of the strategy that the Government is developing to help diversify the supply chain. This will entail the deployment of all the tools at the Government’s disposal. The strategy has three main strands:Attracting established vendors who are not currently present in the UK;Supporting the emergence of new, disruptive entrants to the supply chain; andPromoting the adoption of open, interoperable standards that will reduce barriers to entry.In addition, the Government’s 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme provides an opportunity to support architectural models that open-up the radio access network, allowing operators to use different vendors for different components of the radio access network.